NEW DELHI, September 14: Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend a dinner hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the opening day of the BRICS summit in New Delhi because he was reportedly fatigued after a long journey and suffering from the effects of the time difference.
Xi was among the BRICS leaders who skipped the dinner, along with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to foreign media reports.
The Chinese president had arrived in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon and took part in the BRICS summit before holding a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
People familiar with the matter said Xi felt tired and unwell because of the time difference following his long flight, prompting him to stay away from the official dinner.
Despite missing the evening event, Xi attended other official engagements during his visit, the reports said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other BRICS leaders attended the dinner hosted by Modi at Bharat Mandapam in central New Delhi.
Indian federal ministers and chief ministers from several states were also present at the event. Officials were transported from Parliament House to the venue in two buses.
The two-day BRICS summit concluded on Sunday night after bringing together leaders from the bloc’s 11 member countries and 10 partner states, along with representatives of several international organisations.
The summit also featured bilateral meetings and discussions on regional and global issues, with participating leaders focusing on cooperation within the expanded BRICS framework.